


Nova and Hecate

by aintweproudriff, Indigo_Penstrokes



Series: Superhero AU [6]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: (joey gets caught in an explosion), Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/F, Hospitals, Injury, Minor Violence, Panic Attacks, minor PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-05-13 13:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14749635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aintweproudriff/pseuds/aintweproudriff, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indigo_Penstrokes/pseuds/Indigo_Penstrokes
Summary: Joeys life turned upside down when she was offered to become a superhero after her accident, but it couldn't get crazier than that could it?Yes, yes it can.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is all thanks to the wonderful Javidblue who was kind enough to both let me write something in their au as well as working with me to make sure this fic doesn't conflict with any possible additions to their series. Thank you again for letting me do this!  
> That's all I got this time, so enjoy!

Joey O'Hare was your average college student. She went to classes, complained about said classes. She worked her butt off on a daily basis between rehearsals and her job, even if it’s not the typical college student job.

But it wasn't always like that. 

Just a year prior Joey had seen her world fall apart. Or so she had thought at the time.

It was the summer after her senior year, she was carefree and happy to be out of that god awful high school, finally free of all those homophobic assholes. She was happy to just be able to roam the city as she pleased, stopping to look in windows or to look up at the sky. It was an ordinary day, she hopped onto the subway like she always does when she wants to go to the studio to practice.

The train was noisy and crowded, maybe a bit more than usual. Joey was just about to put her headphones on when screams filled the passenger car, followed closely by a flood of people running for their lives.

Joey did the first thing that crossed her mind, _find out what the hell is going on_. She bolted up and out the doors the people were flooding from. She had managed to push through the onslaught of people to find none other than the menace of the city, Medusa, her green hair flaring around her.

“Whatever you're doing, stop!” Joey didn't know where her bravery came from, just that she couldn't let those people get hurt before they got off the train.

“Aw, who are you to stop me sweetheart?” Medusa smiled sickenly sweetly as she set another bomb on the wall or the train car.

No one, but I can't let you hurt those people.” Joey was getting frantic, looking around for anything to stop the supervillain. _Where is Rogue, or Captain Cannon. Anyone._

“Well, this was a nice chat, ta ta.” Medusa waved as she ripped through the ceiling of the subway car.

It was too late.

Joey only had enough time to turn her head and throw her arms up before the blasts went off.

The last thing she remembered before blacking out is a searing heat and her own screams mixing with the screeching of tearing metal.

Before she even opened her eyes Joey knew her life was just about over. The damage she had to have sustained means she won't be able to land a job dancing, much less ever being able to dance again. It also didn't help that she could feel the heavy casts on both her legs. .

Joey groaned, the light slicing through her eyelids waking her up. She tried to sit up, but the tight wrap of bandages held her down in a tight embrace. Before she could think a swell of panic flooded through her, drowning all other thoughts out. She needed to get out of this place.

“Hey,” a gentle voice off to her right said, but she can't even get her eyes open through her panic. 

“Breathe with me, in for five. Hold for seven. Out for five. You got this.”

It took Joey a lot longer than it normally would to come down from her panic attack. Until she could finally open her eyes, blinking away a few stray tears.

“See it's okay, you're okay.” The nurse gave her a small smile. “You've been through a lot kid, but you're pulling through most of it very well.”

“Most of it?” Joey tried to keep her hands from going up to her face. She knew it was stupid to hope that the blast hadn't damaged her face.

“You suffered some severe burns to the left side of your body, I'm sorry to say but they will leave scars, we tried are best to keep them from scaring. But everything else is healing up quite nicely.” The nurse looked up from her clipboard. “I'm Hannah by the way, I'll be your nurse for the time you're here.”

“Nice to meet you Hannah, I'm Joey, but you probably know that from your sheets.” She waved a bandaged hand at the clipboard.

“I did, but it's always nice to have a patient introduce themself.” Hannah offered another warm smile that it's a wonder how anyone didn't melt under the amount of caring Hannah showed. “I'll leave you be for a few hours, you should get some sleep after that panic you had.”

Joey nodded, her eyes already drooping closed. “Thank you.”

“Of course dear.” With that Hannah closed the door behind her as she slipped quietly into the hall.

~•~

It was a splitting headache that woke Joey up for the second time. Blearily she managed to open her eyes. Much to her surprise she found a guy she'd never seen before sitting in the chair beside her bed.

 

“Who are you?” Her voice made him jump from where he was texting.

Recovering quickly he jumped in to an introduction, “I'm David Jacobs, I treated you when you first came in. I'm glad to see you've been making a good recovery.”

Joey raises a skeptical eyebrow, “Is that why you've been watching me sleep like weirdo?”

David laughed at that, “No no, I haven't been here that long. Just a few minutes.”

Grimaced at the the pain in her head, “Then why are you here?”

“To offer you a chance to dance again, to be able to live your life again.” The look in his eyes was so sincere that Joey half believed him.

“Oh really? I know medicine has come a long way, but I'm pretty sure my body is too fucked up to every do anything again.” Joey knew there's no such things as miracles, and that's exactly what it sounded like David was telling her. 

David sighed, “What if I told you, you shouldn't have survived Medusa's bombs. Those were strong enough to kill anyone within twenty feet. You were five feet away.”

“I would say you're crazy.” And she was inclined to believe this man was stark raving mad.

“Well it's about to get a whole lot crazier,” David said, placing a hefty envelope in her lap.

“What's this?” She picked, dubious of its contents.

“Just take a look at it.” 

Joey does, and she cannot believe it. They want to recruit her to be a superhero. A god damn superhero. And it says that the serum they would inject into her would fix her legs, and give her powers. She looks up at David in awe. It's everything she could have ever wanted.

“What, why me?” She suddenly feels very, very small.

“You ran into a situation that had a 100% chance of fatality, yet here you are. You put your life in danger for the sake of random people on the subway, how many new yorkers can you name who would do that?” He pauses and Joey opens her mouth to protest, “Just hold on I'm not finished. Joey you are everything we look for in a hero, and this plasma can help you. It will also help me with my research, I've only tested this serum on two other people before, this will help me have a complete set of data. So, will you help me, help us?”

Joey thinks, she thinks hard. This is something she can't come back from if it backfires. But what else does she have?

"I'm all in.” She looks David dead in the eyes, not a hint of doubt in her gaze.

“Fantastic, I'll be back occasionally to check up on your healing process. And once you're able to be released, I'll take you back to the agency so we can start your treatments there.” David stands, his back popping from the awkward position.

Joey just nods as he leaves the room, her thoughts spinning at a mile a minute.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just an fyi about this chapter, there is some minor ptsd stuff when Joey goes back to the subway so if thats a trigger in anyway for you, please please be careful, i love all of you guys too much

The next time she saw David was when she was finally allowed out of the hospital almost a week later than expected. She was on crutches, but the casts had been changed out for boots, which isn't much, but it's better than not being able to walk on them.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Joey quipped as she saw David waiting for her by the automatic doors at the front of the building.

“Very funny O'Hare.” But he's smiling as he started walking away, “Well, are you coming?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She followed along, the click of her crutches the only sounds between them.

They walk in silence all the way to the subway.

_The subway._

Joey thought she would be ready to be back. It's not even the same station or track, but there's a cold dread that settled in her stomach, threatening to spread through her. So she just stood there, staring wide eyed at the stairs that lead down. She was unable to move as the dread turned to lead in her veins. She hated every moment of it.

“I-I, is there some other way in?” She knew David could hear the shake in her voice, she could even feel the shake in her arms as her grip tightened on her crutches.

“Not that I have clearance to use, sorry.” His expression was so genuine that it helped to take away a bit of the panic from Joey's system.

“Okay, it's fine, I can do this. We just need to be fast.” She repositioned the crutches under her arms before sliding her headphones over her ears, blocking out the noise with Blink 182 and their California album. The familiar opening washed over her, calming her just a bit more.

Without more than a nod David headed down the steps, turning the corner with Joey close behind. They come to a brick wall which David opened into a passage after pressing . It's pretty awesome, not that Joey would ever say that aloud.

“Welcome to the agency,” David said as they entered into a room full of computers and the smell of coffee, gesturing to the open space around them.

There were people running to and fro, some in regular work attire and others in spandex supersuits It was only a little jarring to see so many of the cities heroes in one place. Joey was pretty sure she could list all of them by name and ability, and maybe that made her a bit of a nerd. But everything was just so fascinating, she's awestruck. Everything was so busy, organized in a way that she couldn't make sense of, but it worked just the same. It's something, she realized, she could get used to being a part of. 

“My lab is back this way.” David led her past the desks and heroes, waving to who she swore on her life was Sunspot.

“Was that?” But her question was answered when the superhero in question stepped over to intercept them.

“This the newest guinea pig?” And yeah, it was definitely Sunspot. He was, shorter than Joey was expecting.

“Please stop calling them that, but yes, this is Joey, our newest _recruit_.” David gestures to her, and it's then she realizes she doesn't look like much. Her roots were painfully obvious in her sunset pink hair. She had on the sweatpants and shirt the hospital gave her since her clothes were destroyed in the blast. And that was ignoring the fact that both her legs were in casts and the burns that no doubt covered some of her face. 

He stuck out a hand for a shake, “Sunspot.”

“Joey, it's a pleasure to meet you.” She took his hand, one of the crutches digging into her side.

They chatted for a bit before a woman's voice called for 'Sunspot to get his ass moving and go save Harlem’, causing him to end their conversation only half finished.

“I can tell you'll be a good addition to the team.” He gave her shoulder a clap before he walked off, leaving a slightly shell shocked Joey in his wake.

“Well, it looks like you made a good first impression, Spot doesn't usually warm up to people that easily.” David laughed a little at his own unintentional joke. “But come on, I still need to get the plasma in you before we get ahead of ourselves.”

“Lead the way Mister Science.”

They entered the lab and Joey is breathless, everything is top of the line and probably costs more than she does. The lights were bright but she didn't mind as David led her towards a padded chair. It reminded her of one of the chairs at the dentist office, which is an odd juxtaposition. But the only thing her mind could think about was the fact she was going to become a superhero. A Superhero with a capital S.

If someone had told six year old Joey that she would be here she wouldn't have believed you. And probably kicked you in the shins for taking her away from whatever project she was working on.

“This is going to hurt a little more than a normal flu shot and it will feel odd once it hits your bloodstream.” David approached her with a needle that looks like any other medical shot.

Gripping the armrests she gritted her teeth, she was never a fan of getting shots, “Let's just get this done.”

David didn't hesitate before sticking the needle in her arm. He pushed the plunger down and Joey did all she could not to scream because it hurted like hell. A burning heat spread down her arm and into her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. It was as if her blood had been lit on fire and she couldn't get enough oxygen into her body. It was excruciating.

David must have seen the pain on her face. “It will only last a few more seconds.” Except he doesn't look so sure. “You can scream if you need to, I'm sure everyone will understand if you do.”

And she did, but no sound came out. The heat reached her head and her legs, setting her whole body into one immense ball of pain. It felt like the fire was running over the breaks in her bones, leaping the nearly microscopic gaps. All of it adding to the growing crescendo of a headache that was forming behind her eyes. Tears threatened to spill over her cheeks if it lasted any longer. She was close to blacking out when the pain started to ebb away. Then a pleasant warmth surrounded her head, like sunshine heating her hair on a warm day. It made her feel dizzy, and light, like she would have floated away if she let go of the chair.

“Woah…” David stared at her like she grew a second head, which she didn't did she?

“What? I don't like that look, what went wrong?” Joey hated how hoarse her voice sounded, like she had been gargling gravel.

“It just worked really well is all, take a look.” He held up a discarded metal tray, the surface shiny enough to be a decent mirror.

Joey's breath was knocked away. 

It was the first time she'd seen herself since the accident. The skin on the left side of her face is red and shiny as expected from a nasty burn; it reached from her neck to her hairline, somehow managing to miss her eye. But that's not what had her gaping in shock. 

Her hair, or what was her hair, was now a writhing mass of flames the same faded pink as her hair. It didn't hurt or burn, just a pleasant warmth haloing her head. It's so bizarre, she couldn't help but run a hand through it. It tickled, but it still felt like her hair was there, it's just on fire.

“This is wild,” She looked up at David, “Do things like this usually happen?”

“I mean, it's hard to predict outcomes, but typically it's powers like super strength and speed, flight, telekinesis, a few manipulation ones. But I've only ever had one other fire related power come from the plasma before...” David trailed off, looking for his laptop.

“Huh.” Joey tried messing around with the fire, she succeeded in setting her finger tips ablaze, as well as being able to pass it from hand to hand like a ball. 

“Now, let's see what you can do.” David glanced up from his laptop, ready to collect any and all data she could give him.

Joey felt a smirk work it's way across her face as she raised her hands, “You got it.”

And with that she let loose a jet of flames, just narrowly missing a large piece of equipment that probably costs more than her entire college tuition. She looked to David, stunned and slightly afraid, but he was smiling so wide it was practically childlike how excited he is about this.

“Now let's see how much control you have over putting the fire out.” He clicked around on the computer a bit before looking back at her. “I want to know how volatile you may be.” 

Joey took a deep breath to steady herself, then focused on the flames wreathing her arms. She can do this. Fire needs fuel and energy to burn, so if she could imagine taking the energy away then the fire should be extinguished.

She pictured the molecules slowing down, like they were moving in slow motion. After a bit she felt the fire sputter out, “How was that?”

“Absolutely brilliant.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look who is actually finishing a multi chapter fic, also i went back and rewrote/edited chapters 1 and 2 so if you want to see what's all changed please go read them again, i'm really happy with how they turned out the second time around.  
> and we finally get to meet Hecate! yay!  
> so as always, enjoy!

“They want to send me out on a cleanup mission?” Joey couldn't believe the words she's hearing, there was absolutely no way she was ready for a solo mission yet.

“It's kind of an emergency and everyone else is either off fighting their own enemies or are on their much needed vacations. So you'd better suit up and get going. The volatile has been active for almost ten minutes, people are panicking. Go do your job and I'll do mine.” Sarah shooed her away from the desk, already pulling on a headset.

Joey sighed as she pulls her mask on and tied her bubblegum pink hair up and out of the way. It was going to be a long day. 

Luckily the situation was only a few blocks away from the agency. Unluckily, there were objects flying everywhere. 

“Everyone, I need you all to remain calm.” Joey used her best soothing, yet commanding voice as she approached the scene before her. 

Through the throng of people pushing away she saw a girl in the fetal position on the pavement. Her face pressed to her knees, hands tucked into the small space between her legs and body. She looked like an innocent civilian that'd been caught in the crossfire. Except, the pieces of debris are all flying away from her. As if on cue a chunk of pavement broke loose, flying straight into the front window of a store; the girl whimpers loud enough that Joey can hear it over the din of the crowd.

A realization hit Joey like an oncoming truck. This girl was having a panic attack, she'd seen it enough times in herself, and it would make sense. Sometimes powers could be unlocked through traumatic events, and then revealed through another similar, or equally emotional experience. Something she learned courtesy of David.

Joey rushed over to her, the crowd parting like water around her. She could feel her hair starting to turn to flames as she reached the target. Consequently she also heard the resounding gasp from those who were watching from a safe distance, no doubt with their phones out filming Nova’s first solo appearance. No Sunspot in sight to help her on this one.

“I'm here to help you.” She squatted down next to the girl, “Can I touch you?”

The girls nodded jerkily.

Carefully Joey puts a hand on the girls shoulder, ignoring the slightly painful shock that goes up her arm. 

“Can you to look at me?” She asked in her softest voice, but the girl just curled up tighter. 

“I'll hurt you, just like I've hurt everyone else here.” The girl chokes out between sporadic breaths, her eyes squeezed shut.

“You won't hurt me, I promise.” Joey could still see the tears flowing from the girl's eyes, “Can you breathe with me?” 

This got the girl to look at her, a mix of fear and confusion written on her face. But slowly she nodded again.

“Okay, breathe in for five. Hold it for eight. Then out slowly for another five.” Joey watched as the girl succeeded in getting her breathing evened out after four repetitions. 

The chaos around them seemed to have stopped, no more swirling vortex of rubble, all that's left is a mess that could be easily swept up. Well except for the damages to the stores, but hopefully the agency would cover that.

“Better?” She asked as the girl sat up, rubbing her arms. 

“Yeah,” She looked down at her lap, “Sorry for causing all of this. It'll probably be a lot to clean up and fix.”

“It's okay, but I have a proposition for you, a kind of way to make up for this.” Joey smiled when the girl's face twisted into something less scared and more perplexed. “How would you like to become a superhero…” Joey realizes she doesn't even know the girl's name. 

“Rafaela,” The girl -Rafaela- said smiling slightly. 

“So Rafaela, what do you say?” Joey couldn't keep a smile off of her own face as she offered a hand up to Rafaela.

“I would love to.”

~•~

It was almost exactly four months after that mission that Hecate made her first appearance to the public. A hero of few words, but with powers that can scare the pants off of any wrongdoer. Always beside Nova, so much so the media liked to say they were attached at the hip. The pair made for a fearsome duo despite being younger than the majority of the other heroes of the city. The public had also taken an almost immediate liking to the two, meaning they had to be even more cautious than most. But their identities are still safely hidden, which is what was important.

~•~

Joey's phone buzzed loudly against the table, the word Work showing up in big letters across the screen. She answered it quickly, even if she didn't really want to.

“What's the problem?” 

“We’ve got a code green in Brooklyn,” Sarah said, her voice tinny through the speakers of the phone. It still made Joey’s blood run cold. A code green is bad, like top tier villain bad. “Grab Raf if you can.” 

“On our way.” Joey hung up, turning back to Rafaela, “Well, it looks like duty calls and our date is cut short again.” 

It wouldn’t be so bad if this was the first time this had happened to the pair, but no it happened every time. Every single time! Joey was getting fed up with it, she just wanted to spend time with her girlfriend for crying out loud, it shouldn’t be that difficult. But the world of crime seemed to have other ideas on how she should be spending her time.

“Let’s suit up then, we can’t leave the public in danger now can we?” Rafaela threw her a cheeky grin. 

“Not today, love, not today.” Joey smiled back, ignoring the anxiety that's still leftover from the shock of being assigned to a code green. 

 

Suited up and armed with their powers, the duo made their way to Brooklyn. Sarah directed them towards what looks like a police blockade. Red and blue lights bounced off the windows of the surrounding buildings, one of which is a bank that was the heart of the conflict. For a split second Nova thought they might be in the wrong place, that was until she saw the green fire. 

“Medusa.” Joey paled at the name. It was one she hadn't heard in a very long time. Sarah always tried her best to send other heroes to deal with the villain so Nova didn't have to. But it looked like luck just wasn't on her side today. 

“I-I don't know if I can do this.” She felt Rafaela, now Hecate, tense beside her before taking her hand.

“I'm right here beside you, we can do this.” Hecate gave her hand a gentle squeeze, which she returned. 

“Okay.” The cold feeling was still in her stomach, but she did her best to push it away, they had people to save after all. 

“Let's do this.” And with that they ran into the fray. 

Joey turned her own ear piece on as they entered the smoke filled building, “Talk to me Sarah, where is she?” 

“Scanners say she's in the vault, but be careful I'm not picking up any traps, but there might be some.” Sarah sounded cool and collected as always, which did little to ease the fear that had bubbled up inside Joey.

“On it.” She nodded to Rafaela as they got closer to the vault that had been eaten away at the hinges by the toxic green flames. A maniacal laugh sounded from within the depths of the vault.

“Nova distract her. Hecate can you bind her arms to her sides?” Joey ignored the way her stomach dropped at the thought of being face to face with Medusa.

“Yes, I can.” Rafaela sounded more sure than Joey had ever felt in her life.

“Great.” 

Sarah's plan worked like a charm. 

Joey entered the vault first, shooting flames at an unsuspecting Medusa. She managed to channel all of her fear into it, causing the fire to turn a purple color. It had confused Medusa long enough that Rafaela could slip in and pin her arms down with one of the super strong ropes David had made specially for Raf and situations like this. It had almost seemed too easy for a code green. But Joey would always take something easier than have it go horribly wrong. 

After they had gotten the bound villain outside they saw Minerva waiting for them. “I'll take her from here, you two should head back to the agency.” 

Neither of them complained as they handed over the criminal, who was testing her bonds but to no avail. 

Luckily the two got to slip away before the media swarmed Katherine with questions and cameras. 

“You know, we could probably sneak in a movie before bed, make it a stay in date,” Rafaela suggested once they had changed back into their civilian clothes. 

“I would love that.” Joey pulled Raf in for a kiss. It was short since they were still technically at work, but it was a promise for more once they got back to their shared apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's all she wrote. i'm not too happy with the ending, but since when am i good at ending fics? anyway, i hope you had as much fun with these girls as i did, thanks for reading

**Author's Note:**

> As always comments and kudos will make my day. And please feel free to drop by my tumblr: @ad-astra-de-luna


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